Bottle capper



Sept. 15, 1931. H. J. LEBHERZ BOTTLE CAPPER Filed Oct 12, 1929 INVENOR.ram my $4 564 140,

BY I d L4TTORNEY7.

Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UFNITED'STA'TESI PATENT OFFICE HARRY J. LEBHERZ,OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE EVEREDY COM- PANY, OF FREDERICK,MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND BOTTLE CAIPER Application filedOctober 12, 1929. Serial No. 399,259.

a My invention relates broadly to bottle cappers and more particularlyto a manually operated bottle capping tool.

One of the objects. of my invention is to provide a construction of handoperated bottle capper Which will enable relatively large forceto beapplied in affixing a crown 1 cap upon a bottle by movement of a plungerdownwardly upon the crown cap of a bottle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of plungertype bottle capper having means for readily adjusting the position ofthe plunger for capping bottles of different heights.

A further object of my invention is to provide a plunger typebottlecapping tool having the operating parts thereof substantially enclosedby the standard which supports the bottle capping mechanism with meansfor readily adjusting the position of the bottle capping plunger withrespect to the standard which supports the plunger, thus enablingthebottle capping tool to be readily used on bottles of difierent sizes.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a plunger typebottle capping tool in which pressure may beapplied for actuating aplunger with respect to a bottle by the movement ofa hand lever in onedirec-' tion which pressure is removed from the plunger and the plungeradjusted in position with respect to the supporting standard forutilizing the bottle capping tool upon bottles of different sizes. I

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction ofbottle capping tool set forth in the following specification andillustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which: v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bottle capping machine constructed inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation thereof; Fig. 3is a fragmentary side elevation with the operating handle turnedforwardly in the direction ofthearrow in order to apply a cap to abottle; Fig. l is a similar View but with the handle thrown rearwardlyin the direction of the arrow and showing the stop arm abutting theframe, in 0 order to raise or lower the rack gear plunger;

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical sectional view on a somewhat larger scaletaken on line 5-5 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional View takenon line 6-6 of F ig.2; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the mutilatedgear and adjacent parts.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character 1designates the standard for the bottle capping tool of my invention. Thestandard may be cast integral with the base 2 and the head 3 providingan extremely simple construction which is rigid and capable ofinexpensive manufacture on a quantity production basis. The head 3 isprovided with a vertically extending bore 8 5 therein and immediatelybehind the bore 8 there is provided an enlarged horizontally extendingbore 4 which communicates with the bore 8. A shaft 5 extends throughbore 4 on a horizontal axis. The shaft 5 being milled toprovide gearteeth 6 throughout a portion of its circumference and being ground intoa flattened portion 7 at one side thereof. A plunger 9 passes throughbore 8 and is provided with a rack 10 at one side thereof, which is enageable by the teeth 6 of rotary shaft 5. lunger 9 carries a bottlecapping throat 18 in the lower extremit thereof, which throat is placedover the nee of a bottle supported on base 2 during the process ofapplying a. crown cap to the bottle. The capping mechanism is assembledby means of spring latch 11 having spring arms 11a which fit into thegroove 5?; formed on the portion 5a of the rotary shaft 5 adjacent theend thereof, the spring arms 11a extending around the groove 5?) in suchmanner that the rotary shaft 5 is secured in position for rotativemovement but prevented from moving. transversely and thus becomingdislodged from the bottle capping head. The shaft 5 is rotated by meansof a lever 12 having a handle 14: thereon which extends through shaft 5as shown more clearly in Fig. 7. A collar 15 having a sleeve 15c fitsover the shaft 5. The sleeve 150 has diametrically opposite notches 15dcut therein, which notches must be registered with lever 12 in securingcollar 15 in proper position withrespect to rotatable shaft member 5, 1M

7 grees around the collar 15.

that is in a' position where abutting arm 15a and hook 156 are properlypositioned for the proper cooperation of the parts of the bottle cappingthroat. Collar 15 carries the limiting stop 15a which extends radiallyfrom collar 15 and hook-shaped member 15? angularly displaced :atapproximately 90 de- A coil spring 16 extends between the hook-shapedmember 15?) and the. fixed point 17 on the standard 1 for exerting aturning torque on collar 15 and through sleeve 15c and the interlockingof notches 15?) with lever 12 upon shaft '5, thus restoring lever 12 toa bottle capping position and elevating plunger '9 after each successivebottle capping operation. Where it is desired to adjust the positionofplunger 9 with respect to the bottle on which the :bot tle cappingtoolis operated, the hand lever 12 may be reversed in its position untilthe end of the limiting stop 15a strikes the outstanding rib la ofstandard 1, thereby bringing the flattener portion 7 adjacent the teeth10 on plunger 9, enablingthe plunger to be i readily slipped upwardly ormoved down wardly to a selected bottle capping position.

Fig. 4 illustrates the position of hand lever 12 when plunger 9 is beingadjusted vertically to aposition for applying crown caps to bottles ofselected sizes. Fig. 3 shows a hand lever moved to an opposite positionwhere the teeth 6 on shaft 5 again mesh with the teeth 10 on. plunger 9and enable the plunger to be moved downwardly under pressure forapplying a crown cap to a bottle. The bottle capping throat 18 isprovided with a double seal die head19 by which a crown cap may bepermanently sealed upon the neck of the bottle. 7

The double seal feature which employ in the capping throat or die head.isshown more fully in my Letters Patent No. 1,421,- 698, issued July 4,1922.

The plunger'type bottle capper described herein has been found tobeextremely practical in its manufacture and productiomand while I havedescribed a preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire that it beunderstood that modifications may be made and that no limitations uponmy invention are intended other than are imposed by the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure "by Letters Patent of theUnited States is as follower 1. A bottle capping tool comprising astandard having a base and a head integrally connected therewith, aplunger passing through said head, gear teeth out in one side 1 of saidplunger, a capping throat carried by the lower extremity of saidplunger, a rotary shaft member extending through said head normal tosaid plunger, .a lever for revolving said shaft, said shaft having gearteeth out throughout one portion of the periphery thereof and beingflattened throughout the remaining portion of the periphery thereof, acollar insertable over said shaft, spring means connected between onepoint on said collar and said standard, and a radially extending stopprojecting from another portion of said collar, whereby said leveroperates to rotate said shaft against the ten sionof said spring foreffecting a bottle capping operation to a limiting position deter-i ofsaid standard, a bottle capping throat carried :by the lower extremityof saidplunger, gear teeth out in one sideof said plunger, a gearedshaft extending through said head normal to the axis of said plunger, alever for actuating said shaft, a sleeve member carried by said shaft, aprojection on one side of said sleeve member, a hook-shaped memberconnected to said sleeve at a point angularly spaced from saidprojection, spring means extending between a point on said standard andsaid hook-shaped member forexerting a turning torque on said shaft forreturning said plunger to a bottle capping position after eachsuccessive bottle cappmg operatiomsaid projection abutting with aportion of saidstandard when said lever is moved to a position fordisengaging said geared .shaft from the teeth on said plunger forallowing said bottle capping throat to lge adjusted to a selectedposition above said ase. 3. In a bottle capping tool a standard having abase .and ahead, a plunger passing through said head, .a bottle capping,throat carriedlby said plunger, teeth formed in one side of saidplunger, a shaft extending through said head normal to the axis 'of saidplunger, one side Of said shaft being flattened and the remainingperiphery of said shaft having gear teeth out therein, means forlatching said shaft in position insaid head, a sleeve insertable oversaid; shaft, said sleeve having diametrically opposed notches cuttherein, a hand operated lever extending through said shaft and throughthe notches cut in said sleeve for rotating'said sleeve simultaneouslywith the rotary movement of said lever, tension means connected to saidsleeve, a stop projecting from said sleeve, whereby said shaft may berotated to a position presenting the flattened side thereof to the teethformed on said plunger for allowingadjustmen't of the position of saidplunger above said base and engaging the teeth on said shaft with theteeth onsaid plunger for actuating said plunger during a bottle cappingoperation.

4. An actuating device for a bottle capping tool having a plunger withgear teeth out in one side thereof, an angularly movable shaft extendingnormal to the axis of the plunger, said shaft being flattened on oneside thereof and having teeth out throughout the remaining peripherythereof and engageable with'the teeth on said plunger, and a handactuated lever extending through said shaft, a sleeve member positionedon said shaft and notched for engagement by said lever, an armprojecting from said sleeve member for abutment with said bottle cappingtool for limiting the rotation of said shaft, resilient means connectedbetween a point on said bottle capping tool and a point on said sleevefor urging said-shaft to a position where the teeth on said shaft engagethe teeth on said plunger, said hand lever bein angularly shiftable to aposition determine by the abutment of said projection with said bottlecapping tool for disengaging the teeth on said shaft from the teeth onsaid plunger for allowing vertical adjustment of said a plunger.

5. A bottle capping tool comprising a base, an integrally connectedstandard, said standard being curved from a position adjacent one end ofsaid base to a position substantially over said base, and means carriedby said standard for pressing a crown cap upon a bottle supported onsaid base, said means including an angularly movable lever and a deviceconnected therewith abutting with the curved top of said standard forlimiting the movement of said lever in one of its extreme positions.

6. In a bottle capping tool, a base, a standard integrally connectedwith said base and curved over and extending in a line which changes itsdirection from a vertical position to a position directly over saidbase, bottle capping mechanism carried by the extremity of said standarddirectly over said base and arranged for successively applying crowncaps upon bottles supportable upon said base, said mechanism includingan angularly movable hand lever and a projecting member connectedtherewith and abutting with the curved portion of said standard forforming a positive stop for said lever in one of its extreme positions.

7. In a bottle capping tool, a base, a standard integrally connectedwith said base and extending vertically therefrom and curved adjacentthe top thereof to a position sub-- stantially over said base and bottlecapping mechanism carried by the upper portion of said standard forsuccessively applying crown caps to bottles supportable on said base,said mechanism including an angularly movable lever anda memberprojecting in a plane parallel thereto at an acute angle with respect tosaid lever and abutting with the projecting member connected therewithat an acute angle and abutting with the curved portion of said standardin one of the extreme positions of said lever.

' 9. In a bottle capping tool, a base, a standard connected to one sideof said base, said standard including a vertical portion and an uppercurved portion, said vertical portion extending in a directionsubstantially tangent to the upper curved portion, and bottle cappingmechanism carried by said upper curved portion for successively applyingcaps to bottles supportable on said base, said mechanism including anangularly movable lever and a projection connected therewith andabutting with the curved portion of said standard in one of the extremepositions of said lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY J. LEBI-IERZ.

